The legendary pastry chef, chocolatier, and TV personality takes us on a tour of his Chocolate Haven and demonstrates how to make irresistible chocolate treats

Chocolate Recipes from Jacques Torres

T he famous Mae West quip that "too much of a good thing is a good thing" is particularly true when it comes to chocolate. One of the best places to experience that delicious excess is Jacques Torres Chocolate Haven, the Wonka-esque factory and retail store owned by the legendary pastry chef, chocolatier, and TV personality.

Torres, who gained international acclaim as the executive pastry chef at Le Cirque and Le Cirque 2000, opened his first shop, Jacques Torres Chocolate, in the DUMBO neighborhood of Brooklyn in 2000 and then opened the 8,000-square-foot Manhattan location in 2004 so he could make chocolate "from bean to bar." The Haven enables visitors to watch Torres and his "Oompa Loompas" make such irresistible confections as chocolate-covered macadamia nuts and hand-dipped apricots using a variety of funky custom-built machines (including the chocolate faucet, an item Torres recommends for every home).